The Race: By the time the peloton reached the foot of the day's final climb, Passo Giau, it had been reduced to 25 riders. Astana's Kreuziger had shown weakness on earlier climbs and when the Giau began to bite, Astana's designated team leader was gone. Teammate Tiralongo, who was looking so good so far this Giro, was also put to the sword. Liquigas again spent a lot of the race at the front but the plan to have Sylvester Szmyd take the final pull on the Giau before handing the race over to Ivan Basso was scotched by what appeared to be a mechanical problem at the base of the Giau. Basso spent much of the ascent of the Giau at the front without teammates.

The accumulated fatigue of 16 stages and three major climbs really showed on the Giau. Very early on the Giau ascent the front group was reduced to just six. Near the top Domenico Pozzovivo put in a brutal acceleration that popped Michele Scarponi and Rigoberto Uran. Despite severe cramps, Scarponi chased and regained the front group, as did Uran. In Cortina d'Ampezzo, Ivan Basso tried to take a flyer, but was chased down. Scarponi led out the sprint and from quite a ways back, Joaquin Rodriguez easily passed everyone. He would be the favorite for pink in Milan except Ryder Hesjedal was third and maintained his second place in the GC. And Hesjedal can time trial. I don't think Rodriguez has enough time on Hesjedal to beat the Canadian in Sunday's Milan time trial.

Results:

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 5hr 24min 41sec. 34.371 km/hr

Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) s.t.

Rigoberto Uran (Sky) s.t.

Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 2sec

Benat Intxausti (Movistar) @ 1min 22sec

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) s.t.

Thomas de Gendt (Vacansoleil) s.t.

Johann Tschopp (BMC) s.t.

John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.

Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) s.t.

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) s.t.

Sergio Pardilla (Movistar) s.t.

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 1min 44sec

Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 2min 13sec

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 2min 47sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) s.t.

Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.

Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini) @ 2min 51sec

Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 4min 21sec

Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 6min 11sec

Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 6min 53sec

Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 8min 28sec

Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 8min 36sec

Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 9min 32sec

Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 10min 12sec

Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.

Andrey Amador (Movistar) s.t.

Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 11min 26sec

Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) s.t.

Keven Seeldrayers (Astana) s.t.

Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.

Peter Stetina (Garmin-Belisol) s.t.

Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) s.t.

José Herrada (Movistar) s.t.

Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 11min 41sec

Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 13min 59sec

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 14min12sec

Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) s.t.

José Rodolfo Serpa (Androni Giocattoli) s.t.

Ben Hermans (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 16min 40sec

Sylvester Szmyd (Liquigas) @ 20min 3sec

Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) s.t.

Ivan Velasco (Euskaltel) @ 21min 1sec

Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 23min 11sec

Alessandro Spexialetti (Lampre) @ 24min 54sec

Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil) s.t.

Mathieu Perget (Ag2r) s.t.

Adriano Malori (Lampre) s.t.

GC after Stage 17:

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) 74hr 46min 46sec

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 30sec

Ivan Basso (Liquigas) @ 1min 22sec

Michele Scarponi (Lampre) @ 1min 36sec

Rigoberto Uran (Sky) @ 2min 56sec

Benat Intxausti (Sky) @ 3min 4sec

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF) @ 3min 19sec

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) @ 4min 13sec

Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil) @ 4min 38sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 4min 42sec

Johann Tschopp (BMC) @ 4min 46sec

John Gadret (Ag2r) s.t.

Daniel Moreno (Katusha) @ 4min 55sec

Dario Cataldo (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 4min 59sec

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) @ 5min 7sec

Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel) @ 5min 42sec

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 6min 29sec

Sergio PArdilla (Movistar) @ 6min 53sec

Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 12min 25sec

Roman Kreuziger (Astana) @ 12min 53sec

Marzio Bruseghin (Movistar) @ 14min 38sec

Hubert Dupont (Ag2r) @ 14min 47sec

Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 16min 20sec

Francis De Greef (Lotto-Belisol) @ 17min 9sec

Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) @ 22min 1sec

Gustav Erik Larsson (Vacansoleil) @ 23min 3sec

Eros Capecchi (Liquigas) @ 24min 5sec

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 24min 37sec

Kevin Seeldrayers (Astana) @ 26min 23sec

Sylvester Sxmyd (Liquigas) @ 26min 38sec

Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 31min 33sec

Damiano Caruso (Liquigas) @ 32min 17sec

Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank) @ 33min 59sec

José Herrada (Movistar) @ 25min 12sec

Tanel Kangert (Astana) @ 36min 56sec

Andrey Amador (Movistar) @ 41min 31sec

Jan Bakelants (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 46min 35sec

Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) @ 47min 2sec

Thomas Rohregger (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 48min 33sec

Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) @ 51min 5sec

Amets Txurruka (Euskaltel) @ 53min 55sec

Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel) @ 53min 57sec

Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF) @ 56min 12sec

Branislau Samoilau (Movistar) @ 59min 11sec

Juan Antonio Flecha (Sky) @ 1min 2min 16sec

Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) @ 1hr 10min 59sec

Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) @ 1hr 18min 35sec

Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini) @ 1hr 20min 53sec

Evgeni Petrov (Astana) @ 1hr 23min 24sec

Valerio Agnoli (Liquigas) @ 1hr 24min 48sec

Points Competition

Mark Cavendish (Sky) 110 points

Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha): 109

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda): 72

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 63

Andrey Amador (Movistar): 52

Climbers' Competition

Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini): 65 points

Michal Golas (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 34

Andrey Amador (Movistar): 28

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF): 24

Jan Barta (NetApp): 24

Young Rider

Rigoberto Uran (Sky) 74hr 49min 42sec

Sergio Henao (Sky) @ 1min 46sec

Gianluca Brambilla (Colnago-CSF) @ 3min 33sec

Diego Ulissi (Lampre) @ 13min 24sec

Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) @ 28min 37sec

Team GC:

Movistar: 223hr 11min 25sec

Lampre @ 12min 4sec

Astana @ 29min 28sec

Euskaltel @ 36min 38sec

Vacansoleil @ 39min 0sec

Stage 17 map and profile

Stage 17 map

Stage 17 profile

Stage 17 photos

I think this is the descent of the Staulanza

Scarponi leads the final six left in the front group up the Giau.

Euskaltel had ambitions for the day, but they came up empty.

Rodriguez never looked to be in trouble.

Paolo Tiralongo and Roman Kreuziger, however, had a a rough time today. Kreuziger came off the front group early on the Giau.